1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method enabling a network operator to control a maximum bitrate in a communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the main functions of a Gateway General Packet Radio Service support node (GGSN) involves interaction with external Internet Protocol (IP) packet networks providing connections to Internet Service Providers (ISPs). From an external IP network's point of view, the GGSN acts as a router for IP addresses of all subscribers served by General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) networks. The GGSN also exchanges routing information with the external IP network. A serving GPRS support node (SGSN) serves all GPRS subscribers that are physically located within the geographical SGSN service area. It forwards incoming and outgoing IP packets addressed to or from a mobile station.
A controller manages Radio Access Bearers for user data, the radio network and mobility. The controller may be a base station controller (BSC) for a second generation mobile system such as GSM, or may be a single radio network controller (RNC) for a third generation mobile system such as Universal Mobile Communication System (UMTS). The Radio Base Station often called also Base Station BS or in 3GPP Node B, provides the radio resources and communicates with the user equipment over an interface.
In Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) networks, one attribute or parameter is a Maximum Bitrate (MBR). There is a Maximum Bitrate associated with an uplink (e.g., from a mobile station to a mobile communications network) and a second Maximum Bitrate associated with a downlink (from the mobile communications network to the mobile station). MBR attributes define a data rate upper limit associated with a Quality of Service (QoS) level subscribed for by a subscriber.
Currently, several commercial streaming servers tend to send bursts of data at a beginning of data transmission and, sometimes, in the middle of streaming sessions. As several mobile stations request relatively low MBR values in a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context activation (usually MBR equals Guaranteed Bitrates (GBR)), an core network polices and shapes data exceeding the MBR value requested by the mobile stations. This shaping results in bad streaming user experience as data is buffered and dropped. Also, if GBR is set too low there may not be enough resources reserved for the connection.
Therefore, there is a need for a device and method for enabling a network operator to influence the policing in the network.